S1-159
The Machinist

6:20 PM
03/11/3273

The Tangled Shore
Spider's Safehouse

Music
Destiny 2 - Tangled Shore

"Look at you. Hah! If our prodigal prince is not yet afraid of you, he should be. Six down, yet the strongest three remain. Of the prince and his pet Fanatic, reports are few. However, your bloodbath has forced the Machinist out of hiding. Moreover, I hear she's amassing great quantities of corrupted Ether to grow the Fanatic's depraved armies. When you pay the Machinist a visit, I urge you to destroy any and all caches of their vile ambrosia. By the way, your IMC may not be all Guardians, but those Pilots definitely know how to get a job done quick, clean, efficiently, and without dying. There hasn't been a single casualty yet!" The Spider was amazed, to say the least. Just then, a faint tremor was felt. "Am I right in guessing that the Titan you call 'Safe-Guard' just dropped in?" The Spider wondered.

"Correct. Ogre-class Titan VB-3957 has been sufficiently repaired and is ready for a rematch with Elykris." Spyglass stated.

Michael pulled out his Spitfire and rushed to the exit. "Let's move, team! Spyglass, Samus, with me! Everyone else, find the Fanatic! We end this today!"

6:38 PM
03/11/3273

The Tangled Shore
The Boil

"{We're in the Machinist's territory now. This one isn't just another name on a list. The Machinist is the Fanatic's right hand. She commands an arsenal of stolen tech. Human, Awoken, Fallen, Cabal, anything she can get her hands on.}" Rocco stated, briefing them in.

Up ahead was VB-3957, and her shields were holding up against the acidic compounds. Next to her was a tank... with a very familiar design. "{This tank is Amanda's work. Looks like the Machinist is a fan.}"

"[The area is secure... for now.]" Safe-Guard had indeed taken care of the Scorn that were already in the vicinity, but there would be more.

Rocco appeared and scanned the Drake tank. "{Everything's working, except the two most important parts: the turret and the nav module. But we are in a junkyard. I've ID'd some possible replacements nearby.}"

"Got it. Spyglass, embark and keep a lookout for any Scorn reinforcements while Samus and I grab the spare parts."

"Acknowledged." Spyglass jumped on Safe-Guard's left arm as the Ogre-class Titan opened the cockpit before hopping inside and taking the controls.

"[Control transferring to Pilot.]"

Michael and Samus headed into a nearby structure, finding one of the replacements. "{This turret's seen better days, but I can make it work.}" Once they carried the turret out of the hut, Spyglass picked it up and brought it over to the tank, carefully attaching it.

With the Drake's weapon systems online, Spyglass disembarked, then entered the tank. "Turret is online. Michael, Samus, acquire the nav module. Safe-Guard and I will provide cover fire."

Just then, Scorn reinforcements arrived, only to be decimated by Quad Rocket projectiles and Drake tank blasts. The catwalk on the side of another structure was cleared out by Spyglass and Safe-Guard, granting safe passage for Michael and Samus, and inside the structure was the nav module.

Once the area was secure, Safe-Guard headed over to the hut and picked up the nav module, then brought it over to the Drake tank Spyglass was controlling. "Nav module installed. Michael, Samus, hop on. Safe-Guard, I have dispatched Commander Blisk to pick you up for relocation. You will get your rematch with the Machinist. I promise."

Spyglass blasted through a sealed hatch, blowing open the tunnel that lead further. Another closed hatch was blocking them, until the Drake was used to blow it open.
Up ahead was another blockade. "{That energy barrier is a problem violence can't solve. Let's check around for a power source.}" Rocco stated.

"Michael, power source located on the overhead catwalk." Spyglass reported.

Michael jumped up, then used his Grapple to immediately make his way to the console so Rocco could deal with the energy barrier. With that out of the way, Michael jumped back down and latched onto the Drake tank.

Large storage canisters were dotted around the next area. "{I'm detecting huge shipping containers of dark Ether in here. Enough to raise a Scorn army.}"

There were two Scorn walkers in this area, and Michael and Samus jumped off to engage one, leaving Spyglass to take care of the one in the acid. Samus used a charged Ice Beam shot on one of the Walker's legs as Michael stuck all three of his Satchel Charges on it, allowing him to detonate the heavy duty sacks of explosives, shattering the leg. The Walker's engine was exposed just as it projected a protective dome, but Michael and Samus were too close for the dome to block their attacks. Samus froze the engine, then let loose with Super Missiles, destroying the Walker.

Not long after Michael and Samus dealt with their Walker, the other one was finished off. "The Scorn Walkers have been neutralized. Four caches of corrupted Ether are present in this area." Spyglass rotated the Drake tank's turret around, blowing up the containers as he aimed upon them.

Eventually, the trio reached another sector.

The Tangled Shore
Salvage Zone QX

"{The Machinist has been raiding cis-Jovian space for years. What she doesn't supply to the other Barons, she adds to her hoard.}"

"This place is filled with scavenged tech. Hey, is that...?" Michael noticed something familiar in one corner of the cesspool. It was a Titan's Rocket Salvo payload launcher. He wondered what something like that was doing here... until he recalled seeing Safe-Guard's damaged left Acolyte Pod. It was Safe-Guard's Rocket Salvo!

"{Look around. There must be another power source nearby.}" Rocco was right. Another terminal could be seen behind the window of a nearby structure.

Spyglass used his Active Radar Pulse to scan the building, seeing a significant group of Scorn inside. "Multiple Scorn contacts detected within that structure." Samus jumped off the Drake, then shifted into her Morph Ball and rolled into the building.

On the other side of the window, a faint glow could be seen, followed by the Morph Ball hopping into the air, the lights on it going out. "Move. Move! MOVE!" Spyglass drove the Drake out of the Power Bomb's radius just as it detonated.

"{Well, that's one way to kill two birds with one stone. She killed the Scorn and cut off the power going to the barrier.}" Rocco mused, looking over the smoldering remains of the building Samus had literally rolled into.

Just then, a voice was heard over the comms. "Shipments... away. All our weapons... to Fikrul... and... the Awoken King!" Mortar strikes began blanketing the area, forcing Michael and Spyglass to abandon the Drake.

On their way to the Machinist's position from there, Spyglass's Ghost picked up Safe-Guard's Rocket Salvo.

Music
Destiny 2 - The Machinist

Their target had appeared. "You want revenge? I watched Cayde die. Pathetic death."

It was then that an IMC Widow flew in overhead, with the door on its left side opening up, revealing an Ogre-class Titan with a Quad Rocket. Safe-Guard jumped out of the craft, her fist impacting the top of the Machinist's head, knocking Elykris face first straight into the ground.

The pack on the Machinist's back erupted into a mortar strike, launching a barrage into the sky as Elykris vanished. Safe-Guard activated her Shield Core, using her own chassis to protect the Fireteam.

"The Scorned Barons... always stand together. Divide us... but you cannot break us." The Machinist reappeared nearby, firing a modified Scorch Cannon. Safe-Guard and the Machinist then engaged in hand-to-hand combat, all while the Fireteam took down the Scorn reinforcements and opened fire upon Elykris.

The Machinist was forced to retreat as Samus hit her with the Ice Beam/Super Missile combo, leaving a mortar barrage as she vanished.

Nearby, Elykris reappeared, resuming fire as Safe-Guard projected a Particle Wall. Spyglass's Ghost appeared, then repaired the Ogre-class Titan's left Acolyte Pod and returned the Rocket Salvo payload launcher. "{Give her hell. Make her pay.}" Safe-Guard charged in, Quad Rocket letting loose a missile stream.

With the Machinist dazed from several rockets hitting her face, Safe-Guard backhanded Elykris into the nearest wall and unleashed a payload of her newly recovered Rocket Salvo straight into her target's back. The Machinist was done for, since Safe-Guard had just picked up a large piece of sharp metal and driven it through Elykris's chest, penetrating her reanimated Fallen circulatory system.

Music
none

With her last few breaths, the Machinist wheezed out. "I bought them... time... The Scorn... the Barons... stand together... forever..."

VB-3957 [Termination] The Machinist (Scorn)

"{Seven down, one to go, then Uldren. It's almost over. It's almost over...}" Was Rocco beginning to show signs of fatigue?

Just then, Petra got on the comms. "Guardians, I know where Uldren is headed. It's time to end this."

The Fanatic will be just another obstruction for us to remove. As for Uldren... Since the Shadow controls the Taken, you can expect a substantial change on that path.

Spyglass promised Safe-Guard she'd have her rematch with the Machinist, so who am I to deviate from it?

See you all next time, and the Scorn shall fall.